This invention generally pertains to a design pattern for opaque articles. The invention is particularly applicable to the black sidewalls of rubber tires.
Manufacturers have for many years placed numerals, letters, characters or other designations upon the sidewalls of tires to enhance the appearance and marketability of their products. Such markings are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,198,744 and 4,823,856.
The subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,774, issued Apr. 22, 1980, was invented by Roberts and Lowther. The invention describes the use of lineal projections which are substantially straight, parallel, and of substantially identical cross-section to form indicium. An indicium is described as a letter or numeral or the like.
The latter issued patent of Mr. Charles W. Roberts, U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,856, issued Apr. 25, 1989, describes the use of serrated outline markings for the sidewall of a tire. The invention relates to a design of a substantially flat ungrooved portion surrounded by a serrated portion which includes a plurality of ribs separated by grooves. The combination of the flat design surrounded by a serrated portion defines an indicium.
The present invention employs the use of a design pattern which improves the visual appearance of an opaque article by increasing the visual contrast of the surfaces of the articles and simultaneously effectively concealing surface variations of the article. The invention is particularly well-suited for the sidewall of a tire, particularly a black sidewall tire. The combination of design patterns in at least one embodiment of the invention, has the effect of making the sidewall markings boldly stand out.